A playthrough of Nintendo's 1987 action-adventure game for the NES, The Legend of Zelda.

The second quest begins at 1:58:21.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary producer and designer of many of Nintendo’s biggest hits, is inarguably one of the most important and influential creative forces the industry has ever seen. After playing an instrumental role in Nintendo's rise to prominence with Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., he soon went on to create the inaugural entry in yet another iconic franchise that would help to shape the video gaming landscape for generations to come, as well as Nintendo’s first million-seller. That game was, of course, The Legend of Zelda.

As he explores the lands of Hyrule, Link must defeat monsters, solve puzzles, and conquer the masters of Hyrule’s fabled eight underground mazes in order to obtain the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom in hopes of saving Princess Zelda. Spanning one-hundred and twenty-eight screens, Hyrule’s expansive countryside is full of secrets to uncover. Caves house caches of useful items, hint-giving NPCs, shops, gambling halls, and more.

The Legend of Zelda's gameplay was defined by its lack of linearity and the scope of its world. In an era dominated by unidirectional platforming and shooting games, Zelda offered players an unprecedented level of freedom. It rewarded those who exhaustively searched every nook and cranny, and it allowed the adventure to progress, or stall, based on the whims of the person holding the controller. And even once Link had succeeded in his mission, the game still wasn't over. A brand new, harder quest awaited anyone who took down Ganon and yet still wanted more.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of The Legend of Zelda, both for Nintendo and the gaming industry as a whole. With so many innovations packed into such a singularly well-realized world, it has earned every shred of praise that has been heaped upon it over the decades, and it's still a must-play for all gamers, modern and retro.

And that gold cartridge was so damned cool!
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

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